10G is on the way.
Since the cable industry's first unveiling of the 10G initiative in 2019, cable providers have been engineering and testing the technology that will make next-generation networks a reality, bringing 10 gigabit per second (Gbps) speeds to households across America and forever change how people connect, live, work, and play.
Fast forward to 2023, and the first deployment of 10G networks are being announced. Below are highlights of recent developments as the road to 10G progresses.
Comcast: Greenlight for 10G
- Comcast announced that its latest Xfinity 10G network upgrade will be launched to 10 million homes and businesses by the end of February.
- Thanks to the foundational network enhancements and improvements made in these locations across Comcast's footprint in 40 cities, DOCSIS 4.0 is set for deployment, where it will deliver even greater reliability and capacity to power multiple data-intensive applications.
- By 2025, 50 million homes and businesses will have these multi-gig speeds.
"Our definition of reliability has to shift from merely being always-on, to powering multiple data-intensive applications across dozens of devices, and the investments we are making in our network are creating immediate benefits for our customers," said Comcast Cable CEO Dave Watson.
Mediacom: 10G Is Set to Boost Iowa
- Mediacom is upgrading its network infrastructure in West Des Moines, Iowa, to certain 10G elements by July of this year.
- Mediacom's current 1-gigabit network will ramp up to 10 Gbps due to the scalability of the 10G platform, eliminating the need to dig trenches since the existing network architecture is already in place in most of their customers' homes.
- Over 30% of the West Des Moines footprint is already upgraded, with more communities to follow.
“We are incredibly excited to kick off the transition of Mediacom’s Iowa network to the game-changing 10G Platform,” said Group VP of Mediacom’s Capitol Region Steve Purcell. “This breakthrough technology is specifically designed to stay ahead of the ever-growing demand for consumer connectivity with minimal disruption to the lives of our customers.”
Preparing for the Future
Cable broadband providers that serve urban and rural communities across America have also highlighted their 10G roadmaps:
- Charter’s impressive demo performance last spring during the CableLabs 10G Showcase validated the enormous potential of 10G by delivering 8 Gbps speeds in the downstream and 6.2 Gbps speeds in the upstream.
- Cox has continued to reaffirm its commitment to the 10G initiative through its lab tests on DOCSIS 4.0 and its multibillion-dollar annual infrastructure investment to build a 10G network over the next several years.
- With 80% of GCI's footprint 2-gig accessible, the Alaskan provider continues to prepare for DOCSIS 4.0, the spec that will be responsible for delivering multi-gig speeds. GCI is looking towards 2025 as a DOCSIS 4.0 rollout in Alaska.
- Midco announced last year its Fiber Forward investment, a $500 million initiative to build a network designed to meet the next-generation needs of Sioux Falls, South Dakota residents. The provider reported they are on track to achieve 10G speeds in the area by 2025.